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Review  of  certa 
Conf  Pam  12mo  #790 

D^015S7T2 


[PRINTED,   BUT  NOT   PUBLISHED.]  f 


REVIEW 


CERTAIN    REMARKS 


THE  PRESIDENT 

WHEN    REQUESTED     TO     RESTORE 

GENERAL  BEAUREGARD 

To      THE      COMMAND      OP      DEPARTMENT     No.      2, 


CHARLESTON: 

STKAJf-l'OWE  R     PRESSES     OF     EVANS     k     C  0  0  S  W  E  M> 

3  Hroml  and  103  East  Bay  streets. 

1863. 


These  pages  have  been  put  in  print  not  for  general  circu- 
lation, but  for  more  convenient  reading  by  the  gentlemen  who 
signed  the  paper  printed  in  the  Appendix,  and  marked  A. 

Charleston,  S.  C,  February  6,  1863. 


fftsviEW  of  the  Remarks  of  his  Excellency  President  Davis  (Rich- 
mond, September  13,  18G2)  relative  to  an  application  by  many 
Members  of  the  Confederate  Congress  for  General  G.  T. 
Beauregard,  C.  S.  A.,  to  be  returned  to  the  command  of  De- 
partment Xo.  2,  consisting  of  Tennessee  and  parts  of  Missis- 
sippi and  Alabama. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Before  entering  on  a  review  of  the  remarks  of  the  Presi- 
dent,* in  order  to  give  il  a  correct  and  faithful  apprehension  of 
the  facts"  involved,  it  appears  in  place  to  furnish  a  brief  sketch 
of  affairs  in  the  Western  department  preceding  the  departure 
of  General  Beauregard  from  Tupelo. 

General  Beauregard  left  Ins  army  corps  in  Virginia  and  went 
to  the  West  to  an  inferior  command  at  the  urgent  solicitation 
of  the  south-western  members  of  Congress,  whose  wishes  were 
conveyed  to  him  through  Colonel  R.  A.  Pryor,  M.  C.  When 
the  General  reached  Jackson,  Tennessee,  about  the  middle  of 
February,  1862,  after  the  fall  of  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson, 
and  the  evacuation  of  Bowling  Green,  the  following  was  the 
disposition  of  the  troops  in  the  West  and  South  : 

1.  General  Sidney  Johnston's  army  of  Kentucky,  consisting 
of  about  17,000  effective  men  of  all  arms,  had  fallen  back, 
across  the  Cumberland  river,  on  Nashville. 

2.  Major-General  Polk's  command,  of  about  14,000  effectives 
of  all  arms,  was  at  Columbus  chiefly,  with  troops  at  New 
Madrid  and  Fort  Pillow,  and  small  detachments  at  one  or  two 

*See  Appendix,  A  and  B. 


points  south  of  Columbus.     This  was  the  command  to  which 
General  Beauregard  was  specially  assigned. 

3.  Major-General  Bragg'a  forces  were  at  and  about  Pensacola 
and  Mobile. 

4.  Major-General  Lovell's  command  was  at  and  around  Xew 
Orleans. 

5.  Major-General  Yau  Dora's  and  Price's  forces  were  west  of 
the  Mississippi,  on  the  borders  of  Arkansas  and  Missouri. 

The  movements  of  the  enemy  had  made  it  apparent,  mean- 
time, that  he  intended  to  turn  the  position  of  our  forces  in 
West  Tennessee  by  the  way  of  the  Tennessee  river,  then  rising 
to  a  favorable  stage  for  navigation,  and  left  open  by  the  fall  of 
Fort  Henry.  General  Beauregard  determined  to  frustrate  this 
design  by  the  immediate  evacuation  of  Columbus,  the  tempo- 
ral occupation  and  fortification  of  Island  10,  and  Madrid 
Bend,  on  the  Mississippi  river  (represented  to  be  stronger  posi- 
tions by  nature  than  they  proved  to  be),  by  the  construction  of 
additional  works  at  New  Madrid,  and  the  concentration,  as 
soon  as  possible,  of  all  available  forces1  at  Corinth,  Miss.,  situ- 
ated at  the  intersection  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  and 
the  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroads. 

General  Johnston  was  averse  to  giving  up  so  important  a 
position  as  Columbus,  but  would  not  interpose  his  authority  as 
Department  commander. 

Imbued  with  a  high  sense  of  the  cardinal  principle  in  war — 
concentration  —  a  principle  illustrated  by  the  military  history  of 
all  wars,  General  Beauregard  further  sought  to  swell  his  inade- 
quate force  in  all  possible  ways.  He  called  on  Generals  Bragg 
and  Lovell  for  their  disposable  troops.  Lovell  at  once  detached 
for  Corinth  a  fine  brigade  under  General  Buggies,  with  certain 
other  troops,  in  all  quite  5,000  men,  choice  troops  of  all  arms.  ' 
General  Bragg  referred  the  matter  to  the  War  department,  by 
whom  positive  orders  were  declined,  and  the  responsibility  was 
left  to  him.  With  the  instincts  of  a  good  soldier,  he  deter- 
mined to  withdraw  his  main  force  from  Pensacola  and  Mobile, 
and  join  General  Beauregard,  which  he  did  in  person  at  jack- 
son,  Tennessee,  about  the  1st  of  March,  1802. 

General  Van  Dorn,  also,  was  strenuously  urged  by  General 
Beauregard  to  transfer  his  wmole  command  to  the  east  bank  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  was  already  in  motion  to  form  the  junction 
before  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  .  ,.  *~~  * 

■  ■ 

.       ': 


The  Governors  of  Louisiana,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  Ten- 
nessee had  also  been  called  on  by  General  Beauregard  for  five 
thousand  men  respectively,  or  as  many  as  could  be  sent  to  him. 

It  was  further  suggested  to  the  War  department  that,  for 
the  campaign,  troops  might  be  spared  from  Charleston,  Savan- 
nah; and  Knoxville  :  and  in  consequence,  a  brigade  was  sent, 
after  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  from  Charleston,  and  several  regi- 
ments from  Chattanooga  by  General  Kirby  Smith.  Further, 
General  Sidney  Johnston,  whose  army  was  now  falling  back 
along  the  Nashville  and  Chattanooga  railroad,  was  requested 
by  General  Beauregard  to  send  forward  to  Corinth  one  or  two 
of  his  brigades.  Thai  judicious  commander  sent  a  brigade  at 
once,  and  announced  his  determination  to  make  a  junction. 
with  his  whole  force,  at  Corinth,  which,  in  the  main,  was 
effected  by  the  last  of  March,  L862. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  under  what  circumstances,  at  whose 
instance,  and  by  whose  efforts  the  forces  concentrated  at 
Corinth  by  the  3d  day  of  April,  1862,  Avere  mainly  brought 
together  at  that  point,  namely:  General  Beauregard. 

These  forces  consisted  of — 

1.  General  Polk's  army  corps  (infantry  and  artillery)...  9,130 

2.  General  Bragg's  army  corps,  consisting  of  his  original 

command  from  Pensacola  and  Mobile,  and  Lovell's 
quota,  with  the  new  Levies  from  Louisiana  (infantry 
and   artillery) 13,589 

3.  The  army  of  Kentucky,  now  subdivided  into  Hardee's 

army  corps  and  reserve  division,  under  Breckinridge 
(infantry  and  artillery) 13,228 


35,953 
4.  Untrained  cavalry,  distributed  with  the  three  corps....  4,382 


Effectives  of  all  arms 40,335 

Unfortunately,  this  army  being  deficient  in  genei-al  officers, 
much  precious  time  was  lost  through  the  defective  organization 
of  the  several  army  coi*ps  as  they  were  assembled  at  Corinth, 
and  in  efforts  to  effect  a  better  organization  for  the  field;  and 
as  a  consequence,  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  which  ought  to  havo 
been  fought  as  early  as  the  1st,  could  not  take  place  until  the 


6th  of  April,  during  the  night  of  which  Buell  effected  a  junction 
with  Grant.  This  event  it  was  hoped  might  be  averted  even 
by  marching  from  Corinth  as  late  as  the  3d  of  April,  but 
untoward  delays,  chiefly  the  result  again  of  defective  organi- 
zation, added  to  bad  roads,  lost  us  one  day  by  the  wayside, 
otherwise  the  battle  would  have  been  fought  on  the  5th  of 
April,  and  Buell  must  have  reached  the  scene  twenty-four 
hours  too  late. 


REVIEW. 


The  object  of  the  President's  allusion  to  a  telegram  from 
(lcneral  Beauregard  t<>  Governor  Pickens.*  to  the  effect  that 
General  Beauregard's  presence  was  absolutely  necessary  to  the 
army  at  Tupelo,  was  to  involve  the  latter,  at  least,  in  an  incon- 
sistency, inasmuch  as  it  would  appeal-  that  a  tew  days  there- 
at! er  he  actually  left  Tupelo  and  his  command. 

Will  any  unprejudiced  mind  fail  to  comprehend  that  although 
General  Beauregard  might  be  averse  to  a  permanent  separation 
from  an  army  that  he  had  brought  together,  organized.")-  and 
handled  in  battle,  and  might  look  upon  such  a  Separation  as 
fraught  with  public  and  persona!  injury,  lie  might  nevertheless 
regard  it  as  a  duty,  both  to  the  country  ami  himself,  in  his 
situation,  to  withdraw  for  a  few  week's  from  the  vexatious, 
distracting  minor  details  of  military  administration,  and  seek 
temporary  rest  and  respite  from  the  cares  which  hamper  and 
harass  the  commander  of  a  volunteer  army,  especially  when 
able  to  leave  I  he  execution  of  his  plans  of  organization  and 
preparation  tor  offensive  operations  in  the  hands  of  so  excellent 
an  officer  as  General  Bragg,  his  second  in  command,  assisted 
by  his  Chief  of  Staff,  who  knew  fully  the  details  of  all  those 
plans  as  well  as  general  views  and  expectations? 

Is  there  not  in  reality  a  wide  difference  hctween  a  permanent 
separation  from  the  command  of  the  army  at  Tupelo,  such  as 
was  involved  in  the  transfer  to  a  command  in  Charleston,  one- 
third  of  the  size  of  the  former  in  number,  and  a  temporary 
absence  of  probably  less  than  a  month,;;;  for  obtaining  health, 
quiet,  and  time  for  reflection  upou  the  momentous  trust  com- 
mitted to  his  charge?  Undoubtedly  so,  more  especiall}-  when 
constant    telegraphic    communication,    and    a    distance    easily 


*  See  Appendix,  C.  f  See  Appendix,  J.  i  See  Appendix,  F  and  H. 


travelled  over  on  a  near  railroad  in  fifteen  hours,  made  his 
absence  not  at  all  hazardous. 

True,  as  the  President  says,  Columbus,  Ky.,  had  been  aban- 
doned; and,  it  may  be  remarked,  it  was  a.  great  mistake  to 
have  strongly  occupied  so  advanced  a  position,  one  so  easily 
turned,  and  especially  when  left  without  a  supporting  army. 
True,  that  Island  10  had  fallen,  but  after  having  served  sub- 
stantially the  purpose  for  which  it  had  been  occupied  and  held, 
viz :  as  an  obstacle  to  any  movement  of  the  enemy  by  the 
river  on  Memphis.  True,  moreover,  that  Memphis  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  but  not  until  the  occupation  of  Corinth  so 
long  and  late  in  the  season  had  served  to  force  him  to  mass 
his  troops,  at  an  enormous  expense  of  men  and  money,  for  its 
reduction,  and  until  time  had  been  gained  for  the  fortification 
of  Vicksburg :  then  was  it  successfully  abandoned  —  a  mere 
barren  waste — to  the  enemy.  It  will,  however,  be  the  prov- 
ince of  impartial  history  to  investigate  and  record  whether 
these  losses  were  due  to  the  incapacity  of  our  generals  in  the 
field,  or  to  a  want  of  forecast,  and  the  neglect  on  the  part  of 
the  government  to  develop  the  abundant  resources  of  the 
country,  and  to  provide  sufficient  and  timely  means  for  the 
effective  defence  of  that  important  region. 

Lovell  may -have  telegraphed  the  War  department  that  he 
would  abandon  Vieksburg  if  not  reinforced;  possibly,  too,  the 
people  in  that  quarter  had  lost  confidence  in  him  after  the  mis- 
hap at  New  Orleans;  yet  when  General  Bragg  and,  subse- 
quently, General  Van  Dorn  were  ordered  to  relieve  him  not  a 
soldier  was  detached  with  either. 

It  so  happened  that  when  the  telegram  of  the  President  to 
General  Bragg  was  handed  to  General  Beauregard  he  had  just 
returned  from  riding  with  Surgeons  Brodie  and  Choppin,  of  his 
Staff,  who  had  again  urged  him  to  take  advantage  of  the  lull 
in  military  operations,  while  preparations  were  being  made  for 
the  summer  campaign,  to  take  at  least  a  brief  rest  from  the 
labors  incident  to  his  immediate  presence  with  the  troops. 
They  both  assured  him  that,  from  the  nature  of  his  disease  (a 
severe,  protracted  laryngitis),  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for 
him  to  have  repose  and  relaxation.  He  being  in  more  pain 
than  usual,  owing  to  the  great  quantity  of  dust  on  the  road 
upon  which  he  had  been  riding,  had  then  agreed  to  follow  their 


advice,  and  seek,  if  possible,  the  restoration  of  his  health,  until 
General  Bragg  should  inform  him  the  army  was  ready  in 
all  things  for  the  offensive.  Made  aware  of  the  telegram  of 
the  President  detaching  that  officer,  General  Beauregard  tele- 
graphed at  once*  the  necessity  for  General  Bragg's  presence 
with  the  army,  in  consequence  of  his  own  urgent,  absolute 
need  of  respite  for  "  a  while"  from  duty  during  the  period  of 
reorganization  and  preparation  then  going  on.  General  Bragg 
also  telegraphed  his  inability  to  leave  under  the  circumstances. 

It  is  pertinent  here  to  state  that  there  seemed  to  be  an  in- 
comprehensible desire  on  the  part  of  the  government  to  deprive 
General  Beauregard  of  the  assistance  of  General  Bragg,  whose 
services  had  been  reported  to  the  War  department  on  a  former 
occasion  as  indispensable  to  the  army  in  consequence  of  the 
physical  condition  of  General  Beauregard.  The  latter  officer 
was  considered  by  his  physicians  ami  his  friends  (from  the 
time  he  arrived  in  Jackson,  Tenn.,  February  17,  1862,  until 
he  left  Tupelo,  Miss.,  June  17,  1S0^)  more  fit  for  a  hospital 
than  for  the  field;  but  when  urged  by  them  to  retire  lor  a. 
while  from  the  command  of  the  department,  he  invariably 
answered:  ".The  condition  of  affairs  did  not  permit  it;  that 
he  had  entered  in  this  contest  with  the  firm  determination 
of  sacrificing,  if  necessary,  not  only  all  he  possessed,  hut  his 
life  also;  and  whether  he  died  from  sickness,  or  on  the  battle- 
field, the  country  was  welcome  to  the  sacrifice."  When,  how- 
ever, he  found  the  possibility  of  recruiting  his  health  by  an 
absence  of  only  a  few  weeks,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  do  so,  for 
the  purpose  of  soon  resuming  offensive  operations;  and  had  the 
President  awaited  the  explanatory  letters  to  the  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral of  the  15th  and  25th  June,  already  referred  to,  instead  of 
acting  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  after  misreading  an  impor- 
tant telegram,  he  would,  doubtless,  have  adopted  a  different 
course. 

It  was  General  Beauregard,  be  it  here  noted,  who  had  under- 
taken the  fortifications  of  Vicksburg,  who  had  sent  his  engi- 
neers thither  with  plans  and  instructions  to  execute  the  work; 
it  was  he,  also,  who  had  (while  at  Corinth)  urged  its  defence  to 
the  last. "|"     General  Beauregard,  therefore,  knew  the  defensive 

*  See  Appendix,  E. 

■(■See  bis  letter  on  files  of  the  War  department  relative  to  defences  of  Vicksburg, 
September  24, 1862. 


10 


resources  of  the  position;  and,  at  the  time,  probably  better 
than  the  War  department,  the  offensive  capacities  of  the 
enemy :  moreover,  he  was  then  in  constant  communication 
with  General  Lovell,  whom  he  expected  at  that  very  moment 
to  see  and  confer  with  at  Tupelo  (in  consequence  of  informa- 
tion received  from  him  to  that  effect)  as  to  the  summer's 
operations,  with  a  view  to  a  co-oj>cration  of  forces.  And  it 
ma}*  be  further  stated  that  General  Lovell  did  reach  Tupelo 
that  same  evening.  Under  the  circumstances,  it  is  but  fair  to 
suppose  General  Beauregard  knew  better  than  any  one  in 
Eichmond  or  distant  from  the  theatre  of  war,  the  precise  con- 
dition of  affairs  and  the  needs  of  Vicksburg,  as  compared  with 
those  of  his  own  department;  hence  his  assumption  of  the 
responsibility  of  retaining  General  -Bragg  until  further  orders. 

The  President  says  (according  to  the  committee)  the  latter 
officer  stated  in  his  dispatch  that  General  Beauregard  had  left 
on  sick  certificate  fov four  months;  this  must  be  an  error;  and 
the  President  assuredly  must  have  confounded  what  General 
Bragg  wrote  with  the  terms  of*  General  Beauregard's  dispatch 
of  14th  June,  misreading  the  latter,  as  ma}'  be  seen;  that  is, 
misplacing  the  punctuation,  as  the  context  ought  to  have  shown 
to  any  one  reading  it  with  care.  The  passage  misconstrued  is 
as  follows  :  "  I  am  leaving  for  awhile  on  surgeons'  certificate — 
for  four  months  I  have  delayed  obeying  their  urgent  rcconi- 
mendations."  From  this  it  is  plain  thut  the  absence  was  to. 
be  but  temporary,  that  it  is  "for  a  while,"  and  not  "for  four 
months,"  or  one-third  of  a  year. 

The  opinions  of  the  surgeons,  and  the  manifest  physical 
needs  of  General  Beauregard,  were  bettor  standards,  it  is  sub- 
mitted, of  what  he  should  have  done  than  the  opinion  of  airy 
one  far  from  his  head-quarters,  and  not  well  informed  of  the 
circumstances  bearing  on  the  case.  The  President  was  pleased 
to  say  that  "General  Beauregard  should  have  remained  at 
Tupelo,  even  if  he  had  to  be  carried  about  on  a  litter,"  until 
General  Bragg' 6  return,  or  for  at  least  two  or  three  weeks. 

Probably  the  President  is  not  aware  that  General  Beaure- 
gard has  already  shown  his  devotion  to  the  service  by  going  to 
the  immediate  scene  of  the  battle  of  Shiloh  in  <nt  ambulance, 
when  unable  to  endure  the  fatigue  of  riding.  He  would  have 
been  found  ready  to  do  the  same  again,  at  Tupelo,  had  he,  the 


11 


commanding  general  of  the  forces,  not  been  amply  assured  of 
what  events  have  subsequently  pi*oven,  that  an  early  attack  by 
the  enemy  was  not  possible,  and  that  any  active  movement 
on  our  side  was  out  of  the  question  daring  the  period  of  his 
proposed  absence.  But  with  full  knowledge  of  his  own  ills, 
the  continuous  and  strenuous  solicitations  of  his  surgeons,  he 
left  under  the  stress  of  an  absolute  necessity,  simply  to  secure 
a  period  of  future  usefulness  to  his  country — a  future  capacity 
to  lead  his  countrymen  in  battle. 

Every  day  he  remained  on  duty  at  Tupelo  (where  the  dust 
was  excessive,  as  already  Stated)  was  calculated  to  make 
chronic  and  incurable  the  malady  under  which  he  suffered  ;  as 
any  one  must  have  been  satisfied  who  had  seen  him  at  Ma- 
nassa,  and  subsequently  at  Corinth  or  Tupelo.  To  attempt  to 
chain  him  to  the  routine  duties  of  the  commander  of  an  army 
during  the  stage  of  constrained  inaction  inevitable  from  our 
want  of  means  nf  transportation  and  strength  for  a  forward  move- 
ment against  an  enemy  as  yet  undivided,  and  when,  at  the  same 
time,  our  forces  were  beyond  the  probable  offensive  attempts 
of  that  enemy,  is  untenable.  And.it  may  be  affirmed,  no  "mili- 
tary man  "  will  say  that  (General  Beauregard,  who  commanded 
a  department,  should  have  remained  at  Tupelo  under  the  cir- 
cumstances one  day  longer. 

Instead  ot  "remaining  two  or  three  weeks  longer,  while 
General  Bragg  should  repair  to  ViCkaburg,"  he  left  because  it 
is  notorious  that  he  hoped  within  a  month,  at  latest,  means 
of  ti-ansportation  Avould  have  been  accumulated,  and  such  a 
division  of  the  enemy's  forces  (which  did  actually  happen  as 
anticipated)  would  come  to  pass  as  would  enable  him  to  take 
the  offensive  and  strike  an  effective  blow. 

With  the  rest  and  quiet  to  be  gained  by  relief  from  his 
labors,  he  expected  to  fit  himself  to  the  utmost  of  his  capacities 
for  the  high  trust  imposed  on  him;  to  have  remained  would 
have  destroyed  his  future  usefulness. 

The  President  was  also  pleased  to  remark  that  "General 
Beauregard  had  left  the  army  without  permission,"  and  was 
"without  right  to  leave  on  a  surgeon's  certificate."  It  mav  be 
safely  answered  that  it  would  be  difficult  for  any  one  to  show 
the  regulation  which  forbids  the  commander  of  a  department 
from  quitting  it  on  a  surgeon's  certificate — even  the  subordinate 


12 


officers  and  privates  enjoy  the  right  denied  the  commanding 
general.  It  was  in  the  power  and  province  of  General  Beaure- 
gard, as  department  commander,  to  have  given  up  the  imme- 
diate command  of  the  forces  at  Tupelo  at  any  time,  and,  in  the 
exercise  of  his  own  judgment,  to  have  gone  to  remote  parts  of 
the  department,  to  Grenada  for  instance,  where  he  had  troops 
in  the  field  under  General  Villepigue.  Had  he  done  so,  he 
would  have  been  further  removed  (in  respect  to  time)  from  the 
main  force  at  Tupelo  than  while  at  Bladon  Springs,  or  even 
Mobile.  At  one  time,  for  example,  General  Sidney  Johnston 
proposed  to  General  Beauregard,  at  Corinth,  to  turn  over  the 
command  of  the  troops,  and  remove  his  own  head-quarters  to 
Memphis,  or  some  other  point  in  the  department. 

General  Bragg  took  one  of  his  corps  (army  of  the  Missis- 
sippi), at  his  own  instance,  into  the  department  of  General 
Kirby  Smith;  General  Jos.  E.  Johnston  can,  at  his  pleasure, 
establish  his  head-quarters  at  Vicksburg,  Jackson,  Grenada, 
Mobile,  Chattanooga,  etc.,  unless  otherwise  ordered,  and  Gen- 
eral Beaui'egard  can  do  likewise  with  regard  to  Charleston, 
Savannah,  etc. 

It  is  true  that  General  Beauregard,  in  his  telegram  of  the 
14 th  June,  did  not  state  where  he  intended  going;  but  the 
whole  dispatch  showed  that  he  could  not  be  going  far;  while 
in  his  letter  of  the  15th  June*  he  did  expressly  make  known 
his  movements  and  future  plans. 

"So  long  as  Beauregard  remained  invested  with  the  com- 
mand of  the  department,"  slays  the  President,  "  Bragg  was 
only  the  commander  of  the  army  at  Tupelo;  he  could  not  cor- 
respond with  the  War  department  except  through  Beauregard, 
and  no  orders  could  be  issued  to  other  forces  in  the  department 
at  Vicksburg  or  elsewhere,  except  through  Beauregard;  and 
under  these  circumstances  a  change  of  the  head  of  the  depart- 
ment was  absolutely  necessary  for  the  public  interests." 

It  is  believed  the  honorable  gentlemen  of  the  committee 
misunderstood  the  President  in  all  this,  for  the  following 
reasons : 

Although  the  contemplated  period  of  his  absence,  and  the 
nature  of  his  departmental  duties,  might  well  have  prevented 

*  See  Appendix,  Y. 


13 


General  Beauregard  from  surrendering  command  of  the  depart- 
ment, yet  he  did,  nevertheless,  turn  over  the  entire  command 
when  he  left  Tupelo.  This  he  stated  explicitly  in  Ids  letter  of 
the  15th  June.  But  grant  that  this  fact  was  not  known  on  the 
20th,  when  General  Bragg  was  directed  to  assume  "perma- 
nently" the  command  of  the  department;  there  was  no  obstacle- 
whatever  to  unrestricted  communication  between  the  War 
department  and  General  Bragg.  In  an  army,  as  in  a  monarchy, 
"the  king  never  dies."  All  communications  addressed  to  the 
commander  of  an  army  are  always  opened  by  the  commander 
present,  or  his  staff.  The  War  department  ROuld  then  have 
experienced  no  difficulty  on  that  score;  moreover,  when  Gen- 
eral Beauregard  was  present  in  chief  command,  within  half  a 
mile  of  General  Bragg'*  head-quarters,  his  Excellency  commu- 
nicated with  the  latter  directly,  and  ordered  him  (not  throagh 
General  Beauregard)  to  go  to  Yickshurg,  situated  in  another 
department,  that  of  (General  Lovell,  although,  indeed,  when  the 
latter  officer  was  ordered,  a  few  days  thereafter,  to  be  relieved 
by  General  Van  Dorn,  the  order  was  sent  "through  General 
Bragg." 

Moreover,  General  Beauregard  corresponded  directly  with 
the  War  department  when  in  command  of  a  corps  at  Manasaa, 
under  General  .los.  Efi.  Johnston,  commanding  the  department, 
and  also  when  he  commanded  an  army  in  Western  Tennessee, 
under  General  A.  8.  Johnston.  Jt  is  believed,  further,  that  at 
this  moment  both  Generals  Bragg  and  Pemberton.  commanding 
armies  under  General  Jos.  E.  Johnston,  correspond  directly 
with  the  War  department,  copies  of  orders  to  them  being  sent 
merely  to  that  officer;  a  course  which  was  not  adopted  in  the 
case  ordering  General  Bragg  to  Vicksburg — for  to  this  day 
General  Beauregard  has  no  official  copy  of  that  order. 

To  give  command  to  General  Beauregard,  and  "put  a  new 
commander  at  the  head  of  the  army  after  General  Bragg  bad 
taken  the  field,  and  when  that  officer  had  arranged  all  his 
plana,  and  had  co-intelligence  with  the  department,  Kirby 
Smith,  and  Humphrey  Marshall,  would  be  so  prejudicial  to  the 
public  interests  he  would  not  do  it  if  the  whole  world  united 
in  the  petition"  —  so  says  the  President. 

'l'h is  would  be  quite  well  founded  iu  a  difficult  campaign, 
with  troops  and  general  officers  who  had  never  served  under 


14 


General  Beauregard;  but  they  were  mainly  his  own  troops, 
reported  to  have  great  confidence  in  him,  and  it  is  permitted  to 
doubt  whether  General  Bragg  could  not  have  explained  fully 
to  General  Beauregard,  in  the  course  of  an  hour's  conversation, 
all  the  plans  and  arrangements  which  have  since  been  carried 
into  effect  in  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  Moreover,  General 
Beauregard  had  studied  thoroughly  the  operations  on  that 
theati'e  of  war,  and  had  offered  to  the  War  department*  a 
plan  of  campaign,  subsequently  made  public  by  the  enemy, 
who  captured  a  copy  while  in  transitu  to  be  filed. 

It  is  true  the  defence  of  Charleston  and  Savannah  is  of  vital 
importance  to  the  Confederacy,  and  their  loss,  or  the  loss  of 
either,  would  be  fraught  with  immeasurable  mischief.  Yet  a 
general  of  the  highest  capacity,  the  utmost  fitness  for  the  re- 
sponsible trust  of  their  defence,  cannot  successfully  defend 
them  without  means  adequate  to  the  end  in  view.  Had  either 
place  been  seriously  attacked  as  early  after  General  Beaure- 
gard's arrival  in  that  department  as  was  confidently  expected, 
disaster  must  have  been  the  consequence. 

Up  to  this  date  not  a  regiment  (except  some  ninety  days 
state  reserves)  has  been  added  to,  but  one  substracted  from 
the  force,  and  heavy  guns  have  only  been  added  to  the  arma- 
ment of  the  works  by  pertinacious  applications  to  the  War 
department,  through  an  officer  sent  specially  for\that  purpose, 
or  (beyond  a  certain  limited  number  of  10-inch  Columbiads) 
by  an  exchange  of  four  or  five  lighter  for  each  additional  heavy 
gun. 

It  is  worthy  of  record  here  that  after  General  Beaaregard 
was  relieved,  the  limits  of  Department  No.  2  were  soon  in- 
creased by  the  absorption  into  it  of  two  other  departments, 
namely:  that  under  General  Forney,  and  the  one  commanded 
by  General  Van  Dorn  (Lovell'sJ. 

It  has  been  no  agreeable  task  to  write  the  foregoing,  but  it 
was  required  in  vindication  of  the  truth  of  history,  and  has 
been  done  with  the  endeavor 

"  Naught  to  extenuate,  nor  set  down  aught  in  malice." 

Charleston,  S.  C,  January,  1863. 


*  See  Appendix,  I. 


APPENDIX 


A. 
To  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States : 

Sir — The  undersigned,  senators  and  representatives  in  Con- 
gress from  the  western  and  south-western  states,  have  learned 
with  pleasure  that  General  Beauregard,  restored  in  health,  has 
reported  for  duty,  and  that  he  has  heen  assigned  to  the  com- 
mand of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  The}*  have  also  been 
reliably  informed  that  the  General  is  anxious  and  eager  to 
return  to  the  command  of  the  army  of  the  West. 

Without  in  any  manner  desiring. to  interfere  with  the  mili- 
tary dispositions  of  the  government,  or  with  the  prerogatives 
of  the  President  as  commander-in-chief  of  all  the  forces,  they 
would  respectfully  submit  that  a  duo  regard,  consistent  with 
the  best  Interests  of  the  country,  should  be  paid  to  the  wishes 
of  one  who  has  given  such  proofs  of  disinterested  devotion  to 
our  cause,  and  who  has  contributed  so  much  by  his  generalship 
to  insure  the  success  of  our  arms.  Compelled  by  the  exigen- 
cies of  the  country  to  separate  himself  from  his  army  of  the 
Potomac  to  go  west  in  a  new  field,  at  a  most  gloomy  period 
of  our  revolution;  then  with  scanty  resources  to  form  a  new 
army  under  eveiy  possible  disadvantage,  consequent  upon  the 
unexpected  fall  of  Forts  Henry  and  Donelsou,  he  was  found 
equal  to  every  emergency;  and  then  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
and  in  the  masterly  retreat  from  Corinth,  saved  that  army. 

Broken  in  health,  and  worn  out  by  the  cares  and  anxiety  of 
the  great  responsibility  of  his  position,  he  sought  a  restoration 
of  health  in  a  temporary  absence  from  his  command,  and  is 
now,  with  invigorated  health  and  renewed  patriotic  zeal,  ready 
to  return  to  active  operations  in  the  field. 

We  know  the  enthusiasm  with  which  his  return  would  in- 
spire our  noble  army,  who  long  to  see  him,  and  that  the  worthy 
general  commanding  would  be  rejoiced  and  gladdened  by  his 
presence.  As  representatives,  aforesaid,  knowing  well  the  sen- 
timents and  wishes   of  the  people  we   represent,  we  unhesi- 


16 


tatingly  say  that  the  restoration  of  General  Beauregard  to  the 
army  of  the  West  would  be  hailed  with  great  joy*by  them  ; 
and  without  detracting  from  the  acknowledged  merit  and  well 
earned  reputation  of  the  present  commander,  we  respectfully 
submit  that  a  new  guarantee  for  the  success  of  our  arms  would 
be  given.  For  these  reasons  we  earnestly  ask  the  President  to 
duly  consider  the  expressed  desire  of  General  Beauregard,  ere 
he  be  definitely  assigned  to  any  position.  Understanding  that 
the  assignment  of  General  Beauregard  to  Charleston  has  been 
pressed  upon  the  government  by  the  Governor  and  Council  of 
South  Carolina,  we  tender  herewith  the  names  of  the  represen- 
tatives of  that  state,  as  expressive  of  their  assent  to  our  peti- 
tion. 

It  is  but  justice  to  General  Beauregard  to  sa}T  that  this  step 
is  taken  without  his  knowledge  or  consent. 
A  true  copy. 

(Signed)  CHS.  J.  VILLEEE, 

Representative  in   Congress. 


Signers. 


State'. 


Signers. 


Ed.  Sparrow 

T.  J.  Semmes 

W.  L.  Yancey 

L.  C.  Haynes 

H.  C.  Burnet 

J.  B.  Clark 

—  Peyton  

G.  A.  Henry 

L.  J.  Wigfall 

J.  Perkins,  Jr 

C.  M.  Conrad 

J.  Wilcox 

P.  W.  Gray 

T.  B.  Sexton 

J.  C.  Atkins 

W.  G.  Swan 

II.  S.  Foote , 

T.  B.  Handley  . . . 

II.  W.  Bruce 

11.  J.  Breckinridge 

W.  R.  Smith 

E.  L.  Gardensuire 
J.  W.  Moore 

D.  F.  Keuner  .... 
L.  C.  Dupre 

E.  S.Dargan 

F.  J.  Batson 

J.  B.  Heiskell 

T.  A.  Harris 

C.  C.  Herbert 


La. 

Sen. 

Ala. 

a 

Ten  n. 

" 

Ky. 
Mo. 

a 

•  • 

a 

Tenn. 

a 

Texas. 

<•' 

La. 

Rep. 

Texas. 

" 

Tenn. 

ii 

a 

a 

Ark. 

a 

Ky. 

ii 

Ala. 

n 

Tenn. 

it 

Ky. 
La. 

a 
a 

Ala. 

a 

Ark.    . 

a 

Tenn. 

"' 

Mo. 

a 

Texas. 

" 

—  Menees 

C.  W.Bell 

C.  J.  Villere 

G.  D.  Royston 

J.  M.  Elliott 

David  Clopton 

G.  W.  Ewing 

W.  M.Cooke 

F.  S.  Lyon 

F.  J.  Foster 

E.  M.  Bruce 

A.  H.  Garland 

G.  G.  Vest 

J.  W.  Crocket 

W.  R.  Machen 

II.  R.  Wright 

M.  D.  Graham 

D.  M.  Currin 

G.  B.  Hodge 

II.  E.  Read 

Wm.  II.  Tibbs 

J.  L.  M.  Curry 

A.  W.  Conrow 

F.  W.  Freeman 

Wm.  Porcher  Miles. 

M.  L.  Bonham 

W.  W.  Boyce 1 

F.  Farrow 

J.  McQueen 


Texas. 
Mo. 
La. 
Ark. 

Ky. 

Ark. 

Ky. 

Mo. 
Ala. 


Ky. 
Ark. 
Mo. 
Ky. 


Ga. 
Texas. 
Tenn. 
Ky. 

Tenn. 
Ala. 

Mo. 

S.  C. 


Rep. 


17 


B. 

Notes  of  an  interview  with  the  President  relative  to  transferring  back 
General  Beauregard  to  the  command  of  Department  No.  2. 

Richmond,  September  13,  1 
General  Sparrow  and  myself  this  day  called  on  the  President 
and  delivered  to  him  a  petition  signed  by  about  fifty  members 
and  senators  from  the  western  and  southwestern  Mates,  in 
which  the  restoration  oi  Beauregard  to  the  command  of  the 
army  now  under  Bragg  was  solicit**);  it  being  stated  in  the 
petition  that  it  was  known  that  Bragg  Mould  welcome  the 
restoration  of  Beauregard.  The  President  received  it  politely, 
and  immediately  read  it  aloud  in  our  pr-  -.mice,  making  --en  pas- 
sant" some  running  comments  on  the  correctness  of  some  of 
the  facts  stilted  in  the  petition,  lie  then  calmly  and  dispassion- 
ately read  aloud  all  the  signatures  attached  to  the  petition. 
Having  sent  to  an  adjoining  office  for  five  or  six  dispatches,  he 
read  them  aloud  in  the  order  they  were  sent  or  received,  accord- 
ing to  date,  and  accompanied  them  in  a  calm  manner  with  the 
following  explanation,  prefacing  it  with  the  remark  that  he 
supposed  we  had  not  a  correc ■;  and  faithful  apprehension  of  the 
facts.  lie  stated  that  on  the  day  preceding  his  first  dispatch 
commanding  Bragg  to  proc* « .  d  to  Ybk.-dmig  (14th  June,  I 
think)  he  received  a  dispatch  from  Coventor  Pickens,  of  South 
Carolina,  informing  him  that  Beauregard  (to  whom  Pickens 
had  previously  sent  a  dispatch  requesting  him  to  come  to 
Charleston  and  take  command  there)  had  replied  that  his  pres- 
ence was  absolutdij  necen&rp  to  the  army  at  Tupelo,  ami  that 
he  could  not  leave  it.  He  (the  President)  furtlc-r  stated  that 
the  following  Condition  of  tilings  existed  at  that  time  :  Colum- 
bus and  Island  Xo.  10  had  surrendered,  Fort  Pillow  was  evacu- 
ated, .Memphis  was  abandoned,  the  enemy  were  taking  posses- 
sion of  the  line  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  railroad, 
and  threatening  a  descent  through  Mississippi;  that  New  Or- 
leans had  fallen,  and  the  disposition  seemed  to  be  to  give  up 
everything;  that  he  had  jnsi  received  a  dispatch  from  Lovell, 
stating  unless  reinforced  he  would  abandon  Vi.-k.d.nrg;  besides 
all  this,  he  knew  the  people  had  no  confidence  in  Lovell,  and 
would  not  serve  under  him.  He  at  once  determined  to  send 
Bragg  to  Vicksburg,  and  on  16th  June.  1  think,  telegraphed  to 
2 


18 


Bragg  to  proceed  at  once  to  Vioksburg,  as  the  danger  was 
pressing  and  imminent,  and  that  the  assignment  of  him  to 
Vicksburg  was  but  temporary.  Bragg  immediately  replied  by 
telegraph  (lGth  or  17th,  I  do  not  now  remember)  that  Beau- 
regard had  retained  him  at  Tupelo,  he,  Beauregard,  being  in 
bad  health,  desired  temporary  repose,  and  intended  to  leave 
the  army  for  a  short  period,  and  concluded  by  sajdng  he 
would  await  further  orders.  When  this  dispatch  arrived  in 
Richmond  the  President  was  at  Raleigh;  as  soon  as  he  re- 
ceived it  from  the  Adjutant-General  he  telegraphed  Bragg  to 
go  at  once  to  Vicksburg  —  the  danger  was  pressing  and  immi- 
nent, and  he  was  sorr}"  he  had  permitted  anything  to  interfere 
with  his  orders.  Bragg  replied  on  18th  or  19th  that  Beaure- 
gard had  left  on  a  surgeon's  certificate  of  four  m.onths,  stating, 
however,  that  Beauregard  would  return  in  a  short  time,  and  as 
soon  as  the  army  was  reorganized.  I  forget  the  exact  terms  of 
the  dispatch.  It  conveyed  the  idea  of  Beauregard's  absence 
being  temporary  and  of  no  very  long  duration;  but  how  long 
was  uncertain,  and  where  he  had  gone  was  not  stated.  Bragg 
informed  the  President  his  presence  had  now  become  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  the  army,  and  that  he  awaited  further 
orders.  The  President  replied  giving  Bragg  the  command  of 
the  department,  and  ordered  Van  Dorn  to  Vicksburg  through 
Braa-ff.  The  President  stated  that  under  these  circumstances 
every  military  man  will  say  that  Beauregard  should  have 
remained  at  Tupelo,  even  if  he  had  to  be  carried  about  in  a 
litter.  He  knew  that  Bragg's  assignment  to  Vicksburg  was 
but  temporary,  and  he  ought  to  have  waited  at  least  two  or 
three  weeks;  that  he  left  the  army  under  these  circumstances 
without  permission,  and  that  he  had  no  right  to  leave  on  a  sur- 
geon's certificate  without  permission,  and  he  had  not  stated 
where  he  had  gone;  that  so  long  as  Beauregard  remainod 
invested  with  the  command  of  the  department  Bragg  was  only 
the  commander  of  that  army  at  Tupelo;  that  Bragg  could  not 
correspond  with  the  War  department  except  through  Beaure- 
gard, and  no  orders  could  be  issued  to  other  forces  in  the 
department  at  Vicksburg  or  elsewhere,  except  through  Beaure- 
gard as  head  of  the  department,  and  therefore,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, a  change  of  the  head  of  the  department  was 
absolutely  necessary  for  the  public  interest.     The  President, 


10 


though  stating  the  irregularities  of  Beauregard's  conduct  in 
leaving  the  array,  said  he  had  overlooked  all  that,  and  dis- 
avowed its  influence  on  his  conduct,  and  based  his  action  exclu- 
sively on  the  public  interests  at  that  time. 

That  so  far  as  giving  Beauregard  command  of  Bragg's  army 
is  concerned,  that  was  out  of  the  question.  Bragg  had^arrano-ed 
■■ill  his  plans,  and  had  cu-intelligence  with  the  department,  with 
Kirby  Smith,  and  Humphrey  Marshall,  and  to  put  a  now  com- 
mander at  the  head  of  the  army  would  he  so  prejudicial  to  the 
public  interests,  he  would  not  do  it  if  the  whole  world  united 
m  the  petition.  He  further  stated  that  Charleston  was  no 
unimportant  command,  that  Gharlesfcftn  and  Savannah  were  of 

vast  eo,,scMuen<u.  In,  i,c<\M,!rdrra<T,  and  as  ImlKdieve,]  General 
Beauregard's  qualifications  peculiarly  fitted  him  for  its  defence, 
he  had  selected  him  on  that  account,' a*  the  best  man  in  the 
army  t.-r  the  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  department.  The 
I'res.dent  read  alo.nl  to  us  all  the  ,lispatH,es  spoken  of  above. 
I  may  not  therefore  give  their  tenor  accuratelv;  he  promised 
US  copies,  and  moreover  authorized  us  to  repcatwhat  passed  in 
conversation.  The  above,  however,  is  substantially  what  passed 
as  ,ar  as  I  can  recollect;  it  is  not  all  that  passed,  nor  do  I  pre- 
tend to  give  the  exact  language. 

(Signed)  THS.  J.  SEMMES. 


C. 

By  telegraph  from  Columbia,  S.  G. 

n,nr  .  t,  June  12,  1862. 

lo  General  Beauregard  : 

Sorry  to  hear  of  your  ill  health  and  afiliction.  Sea  air  good 
for  you.  We  want  you  to  tight  our  batteries  again.  We  must 
now  defend  Charleston.  Please  come,  as  the  President  is  will- 
ing, at  least  for  the  present.     Answer. 

(Signed)  F.  W  PICKENS. 

Answer  to  above. 
Would  be  happy  to   do  so,  but  my  presence  absolutely  re- 
quired here  at  present.     My  health  still  bad.     No  doubt  sea 
air  would  restore  it  — but  have  no  time  to  take  care  of  it. 

-  (Signed)  g.  T.  BEAUREGARD. 


20 

I). 

[Certificate  No.  3.] 

LLead-quarters  Western  Department, 
Tupelo,  June  14,  1802. 

We  hereby  certify  that  after  attendance  upon  General 
Beauregard  for  the  past  four  months,  and  treatment  of  his 
case,  that  in  our  professional  opinion  he  is  incapacitated  phys- 
ically for  the  arduous  duties  of  his  present  command,  and  wc 
urgently  recommend  rest  and  recreation. 

(Signed)  E.  S.  BBODIE, 

Surgeon  P.  A.  C.  S. 
SAM.  CHOPPIN, 
Surgeon  P.  A.  C.  S. 

N.  B. — Certificate  No.  1  was  given  in  Jackson,  Tenn..  dated 
February  — ,  1862. 

Certificate  No.  2  bears  date  Corinth,  April  24,  1862. 


E. 

[Telegram.] 

Tupelo,  Jane  14,  1862. 

General  Sam.  Cooper, 

Adjutant  and  Inspector-  General,  Richmond,  Va.  : 

General  Bragg  has  just  communicated  to  me  a  telegram 
sending  him  to  relieve,  temporarily,  General  Eovell.  His  pres- 
ence here  I  consider  indispensable  at  this  moment,  especially 
as  I  am  leaving  for  a  while  on  surgeons'  certificate.  For  four 
months  I  have  delayed  obeying  their  urgent  recommendations 
in  that  respect.  I  desire  to  be  back  here  in  time  to  retake  the 
offensive  as  soon  as  our  forces  shall  have  been  sufficiently  reor- 
ganized.    1  must  have  a  short  rest. 

(Signed)  G.  T.  BEAUBEGAED. 


21 

F. 

Head-quarters  Western  Department, 

Tupelo,  Miss.,  June  15,  1862- 
General  : 

After  delaying  as  long  as  possible  to  obey  the  oft  repeated 
recommendations  of  my  physicians  to  take  some  rest  for  tbe 
restoration  of  my  health,  I  have  concluded  to  take  advantage 
of  the  pi'esent  lull  in  the  Operations  of  tin's  army,  due  to  the 
necessity  of  attending  to  its  organization  and  discipline,  and 
to  the  uncertain  movements  of  the  enemy,  f&r absenting  mvselt 
for  a  short  while  from  here,  hoping  to  be  back  in  time  to  assume 
the  offensive  at  the  earliest  moment  practicable.  Meanwhile,  1 
will  transfi-r  the  command  of  the  forces  and  of  this  department 
to  the  next  officer  in  rank,  General  B.  Bragg,  furnishing  him 
with  sueh  instructions  as  will  enable  him  to  give  all  orders 
required  during  my  absence. 

I  propose  leaving  here  to-morrow,  at  12,  m.,  for  Mobile, 
where  1  will  remain  a  day  or  two,  inspecting  the  condition  of 
its  defences,  and  will  offer  to  Brigadier-General  Forney  such 
advice  as,  in  my  judgment,  may  be  necessary,  and  he  may  be 
willing  to  accept.  I  will  then  repair  to  Bladon  Springs,  on  the 
Tombigbee  river,  about  seventy-five  miles  north  of  Mobile, 
where  I  will  remain  about  one  week  or  ten  days,  or  long 
enough  to  restore  my  shattered  health. 

Very  resp'y  your  obd't  servant, 

(Signed;  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD, 

General  Commanding. 


G. 
Confederate  States  of  Ameeica,  War  Department, 

Jiiehmond,  June  23,  18G2. 
General  G.  T.  Beaureoard, 

Mobile,  Ala.  : 
General — I  enclose  copies  of  a  telegram  from  the  President 
to  General  Bragg,  and  of  a  letter  which  I  have  addressed  to 
him. 

Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed)  GEO.  W.  RANDOLPH, 

Secr&ary  of  War. 


[By  telegraph.] 

Richmond,  June  20,  1SG2. 
General  Braxton  Brack;. 

Tupilo,  Jliss.  : 
Your  dispatch  informing  me  that  General  Beauregard  had 
turned  over  the  command  to  you  and  left  for  Mobile  on  sur- 
geons' certificate,  was  duly  received.  You  are  assigned  per- 
manently to  the  command  of  the  department,  as  will  be  more 
formally  notified  to  you  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  You  will 
correspond  directly,  and  receive  orders  and  instructions  from 
the  government  in  relation  to  your  future  operations. 

(Signed)  JEFFEKSON  DAVIS. 

Confederate  States  of  America, 

Richmond,  Ju7ie  23.  1862. 
General  Braxton  Brach, 

Commanding  Army  of  the  West;  Tupelo,  Miss.  : 
General — You  have  no  doubt  received  a  telegram  from  the 
President  assigning  you  permanently  to  the  command  turned 
over  to  you  by  General  Beauregard.  I  write  to  inform  you 
officially  of  the  fact,  and  to  request  that  you  will  correspond 
with  and  receive  instructions  from  this  department,  and  con- 
sider yourself  as  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  forces  within 
your  department.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  restrict- 
ing General  Lee's  functions.  They  continue  as  heretofore. 
Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient-  servant, 
(Signed)  GEO.  W.  EANDOLPH, 

Secretary  of  War. 


H. 

Mobile,  Ala.,  June  25,  1862. 
General : 

Enclosed  please  find  the  certificate*  of  my  physicians,  mem- 
bers of  my  general  Staff  as  inspectors,  recommending  that  I 

*  Dated  Tupelo,  June  14,  1862. 


23 


should  withdraw  for  a  while  from  the  command  of  Department 
No.  2.  This  is  the  third  certificate  to  the  same  effect  I  have 
received  from  them  since  ray  arrival  at  Jackson,  Tenn.:  but 
finding,  or  believing,  that  my  presence  until  now  was  absolutely 
necessary  with  the  forces  under  my  command,  T  persistently 
refused  to  avail  myself  of  their  recommendation  until  the  pres- 
ent moment,  when  I  feel  that  in  justice  to  myself  and  to  the 
cause  I  am  endeavoring  to  defend,  I  must  take  a  little  rest,  and 
retire  for  a  while  from  the  active  scenes  of  life  to  which  1  have 
been  accustomed  for  the  last  sixteen  months.  I  will,  for  the 
present,  repair  to  Bladon  Springs.  Ala.,  wliere  I  will  be  always 
ready  to  obey  any  orders  of  the  department  (regardless  of  my 
health)  to  resume  the  active  duties  of  the  field  whenever  cir- 
cumstances will  require  that  1  should  be  so  ordered. 
Ilespeetiully,  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed.  G.  T.  BT-LUTi>E(fARD, 

Q  neral  0.  S.  A. 
General  Sam.  COOPER, 

Adjutant-General  C.  S.  A.,  Richmond,  Va. 


I. 

General  Beauregard  to  General  Braxton  Bragg. 

[Confidential.] 

Cullum  Springs.  Bladon,  Ala.,  July  2S,  1862. 
My  pear  General: 

Your  letter  of  the  22d  inst.  was  received  only  last  night.     1 
give  you  with  pleasure  the  following  views  on  your  propose) 
operations  from  Tupelo,  for  I   wish  you   the  amplest   sr 
both  on  your  and  the  country's  account. 

You  have  evidently  but  one  of  four  things  to  do:  First,  to 
attack  lialleck  at  Corinth  ;  second,  to  attack  Buell  at  or  about 
Chattanooga;  third,  to  attack  Grant  at  or  about  Memphis ; 
fourth,  to  remain  idle  at  Tupelo. 

From  what  you  state  the  first  is  evidently  inadmissible,  and 
the  last  cannot  be  entertained  for  one  moment,  for  action  — 
action  —  action  is  what  we  require. 

Now,  with  regard  to  the  other  two  propositions,  it  in  evident 


24 


that  unless  you  reinforce  General  E.  K.  Smith,  at  Chattanooga, 
he  will  be  overpowered  by  Buell,  and  that  our  communication 

with  the  East,  and  our  supplies  at  Atlanta,  Augusta,  etc.,  will 
be  cut  off;  also,  that  a  partial  reinforcement  would  so  weaken 
you  at  Tupelo,  as  to  paralyze  you  for  any  other  movements 
from  there ;  hence  you  have  adopted  the  wisest  course  in  send- 
ing to  Smith  all  3-0111*  available  forces,  except  just  enough  to 
guard  your  depots,  etc.,  to  the  rear  of  your  present  position  at 
Tupelo. 

The  third  proposition  would  have  afforded  you  some  success, 
but  not  as  brilliant  and  important  in  its  results  as  the  second 
one,  if  the  newspapers  will  permit  you  to  carry  it  successfully 
into  effect;  for  Hal  leek  and  Buell,  occupying  the  base  of  a  long 
isosceles  triangle,  of  which  Mobile  is  the  apex,  could  get  to 
Chattanooga  before  you  if  they  should  become  awarej  of  your 
movements,  and  then  you  would  have  to  contend  again  with 
superior  forces,  as  usual  to  us.  The  moment  3tou  get  to  Chat- 
tanooga you  ought  to  take  the  offensive,  keeping  in  mindBthe 
following  grand  principles  of  the  art  of  war: 

First,  always  bring  the  masses  of  your  army  in  contact  with 
the  fractions  of  the  enemy;  second,  operate  as  much  as  possi- 
ble on  his  communications  without  exposing  your  own ;  third, 
operate  always  on  interior  or  shorter  lines.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  with  anything  like  equal  numbers  you  will  always  meet 
with  success. 

I  am  happy  to  see  that  my  two  lieutenants,  Morgan  and  For- 
rest, are  doing  such  good  service  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 
When  I  appointed  them  I  thought  they  would  leave  their  mark 
wherever  they  passed. 

By  the  way,  I  think  Ave  ought  hereafter,  in  our  official  pa- 
pers, to  call  the  "  Yankees"  "  Abolitionists"  instead  of  "  Fed- 
erals," for  they  now  proclaim  not  only  the  abolition  of  slavery, 
but  of  all  our  constitutional  rights;  and  that  name  will  have  a 
stinging  effect  on  our  Western  enemies.  I  intend  to  issue  a 
general  order  on  the  subject  whenever  I  assume  a  command. 
Sincerely  your  friend, 

G.  T.  BEAUREGARD. 
General  Braxton  Bragg, 

Commanding  Department  No.  2,  Mobile,  Alabama. 


25 


General  Beauregard  to  Adjutant- General  Cooper. 

.[Confidential.] 

Mobile,  Ala,  September 5,  1862. 

Gkneral: 

Under  the  supposition  that  on  the  restoration  of  my  health 
I  would  bo  returned  to  tin-  command  of  Department  Xo.  2,  I 
had  prepared  while  at  Bladon.  Ala.,  a  plan  of  operations  in 
Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  baaed  on  my  knowledge  of  that  part 
of  the  theatre  of  war;  but  hearing  thai  my  just  expectations 
are  to  he  disappointed,  I  have  the  honor  to  communicate  it  t» 
the  War  department,  in  the  hope  that  it  may  be  of  service  to 
our  arms  and  to  our  cause.  It  was  submitted  by  me  to  General 
Bragg  on  the  2d  inst. 

By  looking  at  the  map  it  will  be  seen  that  the  fqrces  operat- 
ing in  that  section  of  country  will  be  separated  at  first  by  one 
river  (the  Tennessee),  and  afterward  by  two  (the  Tennessee 
and  Cumberland),  hence  they  will  be  unable  to  support  each 
other,  being  unprovided  with  pontoon  trains;  but  their  opera- 
tions must  be  more  or  less  dependent  on  or  connected  wit  h 
each  other.  1  will  first  refer  to  those  in  East  Tennessee  and 
then  to  those  west  of  it. 

In  the  first  case,  our  objective  points  must  be.  first  Louisville, 
and  then  Cincinnati.  How  best  to  reach  them  from  Chatta- 
nooga, with  Buell  at  Huntsville  and  Stevenson,  is  the  question. 
It  is  evident  he  has  the  advantage  of  two  bases  of  operations, 
the  Cumberland  and  Tennessee  rivers,  and  that  if  we  advance 
toward  our  objective  points  without  getting  rid  of  him,  we 
would  expose  our  lines  of  communication  with  Chattanooga. 
We  must,  then,  give  him  battle  first,  or  compel  him  to  retire 
before  us. 

Should  he  retire  on  Nashville  (as  the  newspapers  say  he  is 
now  doing),  we  will  be  advancing  toward  Louisville;  but 
should  he  venture  on  Florence  or  Savannah,  to  unite  his  forces 
with  Ivosecrans  and  Grant,  we  will  have  to  concentrate  enough 
of  our  forces  from  Middle  and  East  Tennessee  to  follow  him 
rapidly  and  defeat  him  in  a  great  battle,  when  we  would  be 
able  to  resume  our  march  as  before  indicated.  We  must,  how- 
ever, as  soon  as  practicable,  construct  strong  works  to  com- 
mand the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  rivers,  for  otherwise  our 


2fi 


communication  would  be  cut  off  by  the  enemy  as  soon  as  those 
two  rivers  shall  have  risen  sufficiently  to  admit  the  entrance  of 
their  gun-boats  and  transports. 

The  best  positions  for  said  works  are  ahout  forty  miles  below 
Forts  Donelson  and  Henry,  not  far  from  Eddysville,  where 
those  two  rivers  come  within  one  and  a  half  mile  of  each  other, 
i  am  informed  there  is  at  that  point  a  commanding  elevation 
where  a  strong  field-work  could  be  constructed  for  a  garrison 
of  about  twenty-five  hundred  or  three  thousand  men,  who 
could  hold  out  (with  ample  provisions  and  ammunition)  againat 
&  large  army.  Under  the  guns  of  this  work,  and  along  the 
bank  of  each  river,  a  series  of  batteries,  armed  with  the  heav- 
iest guns  (eight,  nine,  ten  inch,  and  rifled  guns),  could  be  con- 
structed, bearing  directly  on  obstructions  placed  in  each  of 
said  rivers. 

When  Louisville  shall  have  fallen  into  our  possession,  I  would 
construct  a  work  there  tor  the  command  of  the  Ohio  and  the 
canal,  and  I  would  destroy  the  latter  as  soon  as  possible,  so 
completely  that  future  travellers  would  hardly  know  where  it 
was.  This  I  would  do  as  a  return  for  the  Yankee  vandalism 
in  attempting  to  obstruct  forever  the  harbors  of  Charleston 
and  Savannah.  A  detachment  of  our  army  could,  I  think,  take 
Louisville,  while  the  main  body  would  be  marching  to  Cincin- 
nati; but  if  we  could  get  boats  enough  it  would  be  shorter  to 
go  up  the  Ohio  in  them.  To  keep  the  command  of  Cincinnati 
I  would  construct  a  strong  work,  heavily  armed,  at  Covington. 

Now,  for  the  operation  of  Western  Tennessee.  The  object 
should  be  to  drive  the  enemy  from  there  and  resume  the  com- 
mand of  the  Mississippi  river. 

For  these  purposes  I  would  concentrate  rapidly  at  Grand 
Junction  Price's  army,  and  all  that  could  be  spared  from  Vicks- 
bur<»-  of  Van  Dora's.  From  there  I  would  make  a  forced  march 
to  Fort  Pillow,  which  I  would  take  with  probably  only  a  very 
small  loss.  It  is  evident  that  the  forces  at  Memphis  and  Yazoo 
river  would  then  have  their  line  of  communication  by  the  river 
with  the  North  cut  off,  and  they  would  have  either  to  surrender 
or  cross  without  resources  into  Arkansas,  where  General 
Holmes  would  take  good  care  of  them.  From  Fort  Pillow  I 
would  compel  the  forces  at  Corinth,  and  Jackson,  Tennessee,  to 
fall  back  precipitately  to  Humboldt  and  Columbus,  or  their 


27 


lines  of  communication  would  be  cut  off  also.  We  would  then 
pursue  them  vigorously  beyond  the  Mississippi  at  Columbus,  or 
the  Ohio  at  Paducah. 

We  would  thus  compel  the  enemy  to  evacuate  the  State  of 
Mississippi  and  Western  Tennessee,  with  probably  the  loss  on 
our  part  of  only  a  few  hundred  men.  General  Price  could 
then  bo  detached  into  Missouri  to  support  his  friends,  where 
his  presence  alone  would  be  worth  an  army  to  the  Confederacy-. 
%  The  armament  and  ammunition  of  the  works  referred  to 
should  be  collected  as  soon  as  possible  at  Meridian  and  Chatta- 
nooga. 

Such  are  the  operations  which  I  would  carry  into  effect,  with 
such  modifications  as  circumstances  might  require,  if  the  Pres- 
ident had  judged  proper  to  order  me  back  to  the  command  of 
that  army  which  1  had,  with  General  Bragg's  assistance,  col- 
lected together  and  organized,  and  which  I  had  only  left  to 
recover  my  shattered  health,  while  1113'  presence  could  be  spared 
from  it,  and  until  he  informed  me  that  it  was  ready  to  take  the 
offensive. 

Hoping  for  its  entire  success,  I  remain,  very  respectfully, 
your  obedient  servant, 

G.  T.  BEAUREGAKD, 

General  C.  S.  A. 


.1. 


[GENERAL  ORDERS.] 


IIkah-quartrrs  of  the  Forces, 
Corinth,  Miss.%  March  29,  1862. 

I.  The  undersigned  assumes  the  command  and  immediate 
direction  of  the  armies  of  Kentucky,  and  of  the  Mississippi, 
now  united,  and  which,  in  military  operations,  will  be  known 
as  the  army  of  the  Mississippi. 

II.  General  G.  T.  Beauregard  will  be  second  in  command  to 
the  commander  of  the  forces. 

III.  The  army  of  the  Mississippi  will  be  subdivided  into 
three  army  corps,  and  reserves  of  cavalr}*,  artillery,  and  in- 
fantry, as  follows : 

1.  The  first  corps,  under  the  command  of  Major-General  L. 
Polk,  to  consist  of  the  grand  division  now  under  his  com- 


28 


mand,  as  originally  organized,  less  the  artillery  and  cav- 
alry herein  after  limited  and  detached  as  reserves,  and  the 
garrison  of  Fort  Pillow,  and  the  works  for  defence  of 
Madrid  bend,  already  detached  from  that  command. 

2.  The  second  corps,  under  Major-General  Braxton  Bragg,  to 

consist  of  the  second  grand  "division  of  the  army  of  the 
Mississippi,  less  the  artillery  and  cavalry  herein  after  lim- 
ited and  detached  as  reserves. 

3.  The  third  corps,  under  Major-General  W.  J.  Hardee,  to  con- 

sist of  the  army  of  Kentucky,  less  the  cavalry,  artillery, 
and  infantry  herein  after  limited  and  detached  as  reserves. 

4.  The  infantiy  reserve,  under  command  of  Major-General   G. 

B.  Crittenden,  shall  be  formed  of  a  division  of  not  less  than 
two  brigades.  • 

IV.  The  brigades  of  each  army  corps,  and  of  the  reservey 
will  be  so  formed  as  to  consist  severally  of  about  2,500  total, 
infantiy,  and  one  light  battery  of  six  pieces  if  practicable. 

V.  Divisions  shall  consist  of  not  less  than  two  brigades,  and 
of  one  regiment  of  cavalry. 

VI.  All  cavalry  and  artillery  not  herein  before  assigned  to 
divisions  and  brigades   will  be    held  in  reserve  —  the  cavalry 

under  Brigadier-General  ITaices,  the  artillery  under  an 

officer  to  be  subsequently  announced. 

VII.  All  general  orders  touching  matters  of  organization, 
discipline,  and  conduct  of  the  troops,  published  by  General  G. 
T.  Beauregard  to  the  army  of  the  Mississippi,  will  continue  in 
force  in  the  whole  army  until  otherwise  directed,  and  copies 
thereof  will  be  furnished  to  the  third  army  corps  and  the 
reserves. 

VIII.  Major-General  Braxton  Bragg,  in  addition  to  his  duties 
as  commander  of  the  second  army  corps,  is  announced  as 
"  Chief  of  the  Staff"  to  the  commander  of  the  forces. 

(Signed)  A.  S.  JOHNSTON, 

General  C.  S.  A. 


Note. — The  above  organization  of  the  forces  at  Corinth  was  submitted 
by  General  G.  T.  Beauregard,  second  in  command,  and  adopted  by  Gen- 
eral A.  S.  Johnston,  first  in  command,  without  any  alteration  whatever. 

THOMAS  JORDAN,  A.  A.  G. 

April  15,  1862. 


pH  8.5 


